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Today was the first nice day of spring. She was also graduating
soon. So maybe it was only natural that Shizuma wanted to spend some
time with Nagisa this Sunday. It was possibly because of that Tamao's
dorm room felt so empty right now.

Tamao understood quite clearly that Shizuma and Nagisa were a
couple now and that couples spent lots of time together. But that
didn't mean Shizuma had to hog Nagisa all for herself all the time.
"You'll see more of Nagisa once I graduate. But you mustn't lay a hand
on her. I'll still be around," was what Shizuma had actually said to
Tamao before she and Nagisa had left for their date. Letting out a sign
of frustration, Tamao let herself fall back onto her bed.

Now, Tamao absolutely did not have any plans to steal Nagisa away
from Shizuma. Still, as Nagisa's best friend, Tamao felt it was her
duty to watch over Nagisa.

"I'm all done cleaning!" Chiyo said cheerfully as she clutched the
broom handle close to her chest.

Tamao smiled, almost wickedly. She didn't have to do this alone.
"Hey, Chiyo-chan..." she began.

* * *
It was quite a beautiful day. Everything above was blue with not
even the slightest hint of gray, and the trees were just beginning to
have that fresh green color. Yes, Shizuma thought, it was a wonderful
day to do a little shopping, eat some ice cream cones, and, at this
present moment, walk through a park, all while holding hands with the
one she loved.

Shizuma took another bite of her ice cream cone as she glanced at
Nagisa. Small, golden stars dangled from Nagisa's earlobes. When
Shizuma had first seen those earrings, she had known that they would
look so cute on Nagisa. To check if Nagisa had pierced ears, Shizuma
had to lean in very close, and she had done that in the middle of a
crowd. Nagisa was so cute when she was embarrassed, Shizuma had
noticed.

The park Shizuma and Nagisa were walking through was beautiful,
but there weren't a whole lot of people around. So far, they had only
seen women and girls. The real world didn't seem much different from
school, Shizuma noticed. And in a week, she would graduate and head
into this "real world."

"Shizuma-chan, are you all right?" Nagisa asked, her cute voice
bringing Shizuma back into reality. "You look kind of spaced out."

Shizuma nodded. "I'm fine," she answered with a smile. "I was
just thinking about graduation. I'm really going to miss Miator."

"But you'll visit often, right?" Nagisa assumed, wrapping her arms
around Shizuma's back while being careful with her ice cream cone.

"Of course," Shizuma assured, returning Nagisa's hug and lightly
kissing the redhead's lips. "There's no way I could ever leave you."

Nagisa smiled broadly and gave Shizuma a kiss of her own. Shizuma
felt happier; Nagisa was becoming more and more outgoing. Shizuma
wanted to do more than just hug and kiss, but she would wait for Nagisa
to do the initializing. She would know then that Nagisa truly wanted to
go all the way and then it would result in something beautiful. But
until then, Shizuma would do her best not to pressure Nagisa.

When they finished their ice cream cones, they realized their legs
were growing tired from all this walking. They decided to rest on a
bench near the playground. Right now, only a few little girls played
while their mothers watched. Nagisa and Shizuma heard loud movement in
some bushes behind them, but they figured it was only a few overexcited
squirrels.

"We should go to the beach next," Shizuma suggested, slipping her
hand into Nagisa's.

"But I don't have my swimsuit with me!" Nagisa pointed out, her
voice filled with more worry than what was necessary. Nagisa was still
a bit nervous around her, Shizuma noticed.

Nevertheless, Shizuma still chuckled. "Nagisa, you're so cute.
We don't need our swimsuits. Just our bare feet."

"Oh." Nagisa's face was once again that adorable shade of red.
"Well then, I'd love to go to the beach with you," she said, her smile
sincere, but still slightly awkward.

Shizuma also smiled and lightly kissed Nagisa's cheek. They then
stood up and began walking again, hand-in-hand.

Once Shizuma and Nagisa were out of sight, Tamao and Chiyo stood
up from behind the bushes. "The beach, huh?" Tamao said, crossing her
arms over her chest. "Clich‚, but still romantic."

"Tamao-oneesama, why do we have to follow Nagisa-oneesama and
Hanazono-sama?" Chiyo asked. "They're in love. Can't we give them a
little privacy?"

"True, they are in love," Tamao agreed, nodding her head. "I know
she's chosen someone else, but she's still my best friend. It's my job
to ensure that Nagisa-chan is being treated right!"

Chiyo blushed slightly, but she was smiling broadly. "Yeah,
Nagisa-oneesama does deserve the very best!"

Tamao gripped Chiyo's hand. "Let's go, Chiyo-chan! Nagisa-chan
is counting on us!"

Chiyo nodded enthusiastically and she and Tamao started following
the same path Nagisa and Shizuma had taken.

* * *
The waves splashed against the bare feet of Shizuma and Nagisa
while small particles of sand clung onto the soles. As Nagisa and
Shizuma walked along the beach, they had one arm wrapped around the back
of the other's waist while they carried their sandals in their other
hand.

It was only midday; the sky was still blue. Nagisa thought orange
and yellow would be more appropriate for this kind of mood, however
clich‚d that would have been. She was also reminded of a rumor she had
once heard; apparently the new Etoile pair, Amane and Hikari, had once
come to this very beach for a date.

Etoile. That title didn't belong to Shizuma anymore. Somehow,
Nagisa felt close to Shizuma because of that. She was no longer
elevated to the statues of goddess; she was now a normal human being and
Nagisa felt more comfortable around her.

Etoile. Nagisa still sometimes wondered if she had cost Tamao the
election. She had "eloped" with Shizuma, leaving Tamao, the "bride,"
alone at the altar. They had a serious discussion later, one that had
relieved Nagisa of some of her guilt. She knew Tamao loved her, but
Tamao accepted her and Shizuma as a couple. She and Tamao were still
best friends, so she loved Shizuma without guilt. Still, sometimes she
worried about Tamao's feelings.

"Nagisa, why do you look so sad?" Shizuma asked as she brought her
hand from Nagisa's waist to the redhead's face.

"I'm not sad!" Nagisa corrected, her heart pounding. "I was just
a little lost in thought. Hey, let's go into the water a little!" With
her arm still around Shizuma's waist, Nagisa began walking quickly
toward the water, almost dragging the older girl with her. Fortunately,
Shizuma seemed pleased with Nagisa's sudden eagerness.

The water was cold around Nagisa's ankles, but it still felt
pleasant. Even though it was only early spring, the sun would start
feeling hot to anybody after they had walked around under it for several
hours, and that included the two girls. Shizuma stepped into the water
after Nagisa and then shivered, as if silently agreeing with Nagisa that
the water was cold.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Nagisa said cheerfully. "But it feels so
nice!"

Shizuma also smiled. "Yes, it does," she agreed. "I quite like
the water. It's where we had our first kiss."

Nagisa nodded sharply. "I remember! I've never held my breath
for so long."

Shizuma chuckled. "And then I scared you away. I'm glad you
forgave me so soon. I don't think I would've done so well in the play
without your help."

"I was just happy to be close to you again." After Nagisa said
that, her smiled weakened. She placed her hand on Shizuma's shoulder.
"When we were in your room, you thought of Kaori-san, didn't you?"

"Yes," Shizuma answered, her voice somber. "I still hadn't
accepted her death and I couldn't fully love you. But Kaori didn't want
her death to haunt me for the rest of my life. She wanted me to move
on, to fall in love again. If she could see you and me together now,
she would be very happy."

Nagisa's smiled brightened again and she threw her arms around
Shizuma. The older girl returned the younger girl's embrace, and they
held each other tightly for a few intense moments. They then pulled
away from the other only slightly, and in the blink of an eye, their
lips were together. Their kissing was passionate, but they were careful
not to drop their sandals or fall over into the water.

When they were done kissing, Shizuma brushed her cheek against
Nagisa's and rested her chin on the younger girl's small shoulder. "You
still have that dress I gave you, right?" she whispered into Nagisa's
ear, causing the dangling star earring to sway a little. "We should go
on a date where that kind of dress would be very appropriate."

"That would be nice," Nagisa replied, her voice also a whisper.

"Also, Tamao-chan and Chiyo-chan have been following us," Shizuma
added, her arms tightening around Nagisa's body. "At our wedding,
Tamao-chan is going to be the one to give you away. So, let her have
her fun."

"I will," Nagisa promised. She felt happy that Tamao cared about
her so much. Maybe some other day, soon, she would take Tamao out on a
casual date.

Shizuma and Nagisa held each other for a little longer. Nagisa
didn't want this moment to end. She would be sad when Shizuma
graduated, but that wouldn't be the end of their relationship. They
still had a lot planned for their future together.

When the hug ended, Nagisa and Shizuma saw Tamao and Chiyo waiting
for them. "Tamao-chan, Chiyo-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed as she began
rushing toward them while Shizuma followed calmly.

END